Film review | The Beaver – Talk to the Hand

An actor famous for his highly public personal meltdown plays a character going through a highly public personal meltdown in offbeat comedy drama The Beaver. Mel Gibson is, of course, the star and, if you can put aside his private misdeeds, it’s undeniable that he’s perfect for the role of chronically depressed toy company boss Walter Black. Following a farcical failed suicide attempt, Walter finds the only way he can cope with life is by communicating through a mangy beaver hand-puppet – much to the consternation of his frazzled wife (Jodie Foster, who also directs) and troubled eldest son (Anton Yelchin). The set-up sounds absurd, and parts of the movie are indeed funny peculiar, but overall Foster plays things straight as director and Gibson rewards her with a nakedly honest portrayal of a man who’s hit rock bottom and is trying to clamber back to the light.

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Please keep me up to date with special offers and news from What' s on TV and other brands operated by TI Media Limited via email. You can unsubscribe at any time.

We'd also like to send you special offers and news just by email from other carefully selected companies we think you might like. Your personal details will not be shared with those companies - we send the emails and you can unsubscribe at any time. Please tick here if you are happy to receive these messages.